City of Milton will quit hiring tobacco users on Oct. 1

11:23 PM,
Apr. 21, 2013

Written by

Louis Cooper
lcooper@pnj.com

Come Oct. 1, the City of Milton is quitting - quitting hiring smokers and other tobacco users, that is.

"This is part of an overall wellness program established by the city," Milton City Manager Brian Watkins said. "Wellness is an important part of our worksite culture. ... Wellness programs can also play an important role in containing health care costs for employers and individual employees."

The new policy, which was adopted by the Milton City Council, will also impact current employees who use tobacco. Starting Oct. 1, they will pay an extra 5 percent for health insurance provided by the ...